Path of Unperceived Hatred
by 8D SerenityCrystal Tear 83
Summary: Baltor banishes the group from the magical dimension. They are reborn on our planet Earth with no memory of each other, their families, their pasts, or their powers. How will they remember the bond they once shared? What obstacles lie before them in their new lives? Will they ever get their powers back and return to the magical dimension? *Mostly AU in a way*
1. Prologue

_*This chapter meets my rewritten stamp of approval*_

_Hey, guys! Thank you for checking this fic out! I've finally gotten around to rewriting the prologue (although for those of you whom've already read it, you'll notice it's actually not that different) and there's just a couple of things I'd like to tell you about it._

_**1)** _I wrote this prologue on the strict decision to make it as canon as possible_, just because most of the fic is pretty AU, so I felt a canon prologue was in order._

_**2) **I understand the length may be intimidating to some, but it looks worse than it actually is. Not far pass 4,200 or so words; the bulk of it is just the first section, but I will tell you that everything is not needed. I'll go into details at the end of the prologue, but I'll tell you that **to get the best out of this fanfic, you should read the first section and the second-to-last section for information's sake**. Everything else I'll explain later at the bottom of the prologue._

_**Important**: This prologue takes place during season 3 of Winx Club, but most of the story onwards will pretty much be AU, but you will see what I mean in chapter one where I go into more detail._

_Other genres includes Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Family, and Friendship later on._

_**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own ANYTHING! If I did, would I be writing fanfiction!?_

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><p><span><strong>Path of Unperceived Hatred<strong>

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><p><span><strong>*Prologue*<strong>

"But...how can a dimension's guardian just turn its back on its people?" Bloom asked, gazing at Alfea's headmistress in puzzlement. "I mean, it doesn't make sense."

The old woman sporting a grayish-white afro sighed heavily, before hesitantly tearing her eyes away from the large window to look at the six teenaged girls presently standing in front of her desk. She glanced at all of them, then focused on the fiery redhead who spoke. "You don't understand, Bloom." Ms. Faragonda breathed in deeply before continuing. "Arscix is the dimension of Dreams and Fate. 'Dreams', would include nightmares and illusions; all of which are very vivid. As if they were really happening to you; and, ironically, even if they are illusions, if you let it, they'll destroy you by taking over your mind with lies of betrayal that only _you _could believe.

"'Fate'," she continued, "is a little more complicated. In Arscix, everyone there has their destiny decided on the week before they are born; and they must follow it and no other. Like when you're reading a storybook or watching a movie." Ms. Faragonda raised her hand and did a circular motion. White and yellow sparkles twinkled before the spot in the air flashed briefly, showing an image of a girl cleaning filthy floors. Soon, the scene switched to the girl crying while her family left to go to a castle. "You're reading about the character's life. In that sense, you are reading their destiny, and half of the time you can predict what's to happen at the end." The image then changed to the girl in a fancy dress dancing at what seems to be a ball with a handsome man.

"What!?" the sound waves fairy spoke up, her face showing a mix of disbelief and anger. "That's totally whack! There's no such thing as your future being decided! Especially before you were even _born_!" She restrained slamming her hands on her headmistress' desk. "You decide your _own_ future, not live by someone else's!"

"Yeah! Musa's right." The chocolate-skinned girl pushed her thick and wavy, brown hair behind her shoulder. "What kind of rule is that? Who even decides these 'destinies' in the first place?"

Ms. Faragonda held a hand up for silence. "I understand your point, girls, but that is what Arscix was known for in our ancient history books."

"Wait, _what_?" Stella, with her high-pitched voice, halted the old woman from continuing. "I thought you were giving us some kind of assignment, not telling us to _study_!" She crossed her arms. "And what do you mean by 'was'? They don't '_foresee_' the future anymore?" She made quotation marks with her fingers.

"If you all would let me speak and explain properly, you'd probably have known the entire story by now."

"Sorry. . . . " the group muttered.

Ms. Faragonda took another moment to look at them, making sure they stayed silent. "Now, as I was saying . . . Arscix is a dimension said to have been in ruins long ago; it was quite a popular discussion topic among its sister dimensions because to this day, we still do not know what caused its destruction." She sighed. "But just recently, it suddenly reappeared again; and for some reason it didn't cause much commotion.

"Now I come back to the beginning of the problem." She tilted her head forward slightly. "We've noticed a disturbance within Arscix's atmosphere; a powerfully, _dangerous_ disturbance, I might add." She paused.

Flora took this opportunity to raise her hand slightly in front of her. When the headmistress nodded her consent to speak, she asked, "But what does this have to do with that guardian? Is it possible that it's angry because someone or something came into its land?"

It took a few moments before the elderly woman replied. "That's one thing I'd like to know myself, Flora. Though I have no insight about what happened in the past, what I _do_ know is the current problem they are suffering at hand."

"Well, what is it, then!?" The blonde haired girl couldn't restrain herself any longer. She ignored Bloom's muttered disapproval and protests and stared Ms. Faragonda down. "You're telling us all this other stuff except the thing most important!"

Ms. Faragonda, however, didn't seem effected by the eighteen-year-old's outburst. "Arscix has many realms within, including a guardian that protects it by making sure no forces of other dimensions are inside. Now, among the planets is one called Desyria, it's the heart of Arscix."

"The heart?" Bloom tilted her head to the side slightly, making her red hair sway. "Like it's what controls the balance or something?"

"That's exactly right, Bloom!" Ms. Faragonda restrained smiling at the young girl.

"But that can't be!" The short-haired girl stepped up. "No planet can technically be in control of an entire dimension – especially with a guardian! It's not logical!"

"In many dimensions, it isn't, Tecna; but Arscix is one of the very few that do have a fragile weakness." She continued on before any of them could inquire. "As I was saying, not only is Desyria the heart, but also the most dangerous planet of Arscix.

"I'm sure you've already figured out that powers of illusions and fates are the strongest at the heart." Ms. Faragonda gaze went to the golden-brown ceiling of her office, looking at something invisible to the other girls. "I've just found out the Guardian of Arscix is in chaos and rage about the rulers and heirs of Desyria."

"I don't see why." Stella rolled her chestnut brown eyes while making a circular motion with her wrist to emphasize her impatience. "If Arscix people – Desyria especially – go by that destiny mumbo jumbo, the royal family's 'fate' –" she added the quotation marks with her fingers "– should be to rule, right?"

"That's what we all thought. I don't have all the answers, I just know that guardian is searching for the true heir to the throne...and that person is not anywhere in the distant dimension."

The office was swallowed in silence. The headmistress could tell the Winx girls had many questions, but they also knew she wasn't the one whom could shed light on any of it.

Eventually, Layla was the one to voice the seemingly biggest question from all of them. "So you want us to find this true heir?"

Ms. Faragonda nodded. "Not only that, but also discover the secrets of Arscix, most likely hidden within Desyria." She stared at the curtain covered window for a few moments, then turned back to the group. "Remember, the Guardian of Arscix is a powerful being that will not allow anyone or anything from the 'outside' in. This makes it a very dangerous and confusing mission and I expect you all to take it seriously; no side trips."

The girls made no movement or noise to indicate they understood the task ahead of them, but their eyes showed everything that nothing else could put into words. Ms. Faragonda shared their gazes before raising her head ever-so-slightly to dismiss them.

As they all filed out the dark brown door, Bloom lingered behind. When she saw Flora's long, light brown hair disappear, she turned back to the headmistress. "Ms. Faragonda... " She bit her lip and glanced down hesitantly. "...I can't help feeling there's something _more_ to our mission, than you're telling us." She locked eyes with the older woman for what felt like a very long time, but in reality, only seconds.

Finally, Ms. Faragonda smiled softly. "There is no need to worry, Bloom. All I ask is for you girls to be careful."

With much reluctance, the fire-wielding fairy nodded and walked to the door. Before she vanished to the halls of Alfea, she stole one final glance at the headmistress. Was that fear in her eyes? Bloom couldn't tell, for the woman had already closed the door with magic. . . .

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><p>"Hey," Musa started as she and the other girls walked in their dorm lounge of Alfea, "is it just me, or was Ms. F acting a little weird?"<p>

Flora nodded. "Yeah, I noticed it too." She was on the small, comfy couch. "Do you think the discussion bothered her?"

"Nah. I don't think that's it," Layla replied. "It's like...she didn't _want_ to tell us about Desyria."

"And didn't it seem like she was hiding something from us?" Tecna placed one hand on her hip. "Shouldn't we know everything if we're going on a mission?"

Bloom tried to smile, but failed miserably. "Well, maybe she thought it wasn't important."

Tecna shook her head. "If that was it, she wouldn't have looked so hesitant." She raised her hand to her chin. "No... There's more to this situation than we think."

Bloom sighed. "Well, we won't find answers here, we should start getting ready."

"Hey, girls!" Stella yelled before they all disappeared in their rooms. "Aren't you all forgetting one important question?"

The group glanced at one another, but shrugged. "What is it, Stel?" Bloom asked.

"_Hello_! Arscix is a faraway dimension! Why are _we_ the ones trying to save it? Don't they have people of their own?"

"Stel, don't you remember?" Musa sighed. "The people there follow the 'destiny' chosen for them. Obviously, they'll stick with it even if the place is in danger."

"But shouldn't someone's 'destiny'" - she made the air quotations - "be to save their dimension!?"

"That person would have to be born before that 'path' can be given to them," Flora answered this time. "And even after that, they'd have to wait years before actually setting off for the quest."

Stella pouted and crossed her arms. "Well, I still don't think we should go through all the trouble for some place that's suppose to be destroyed."

Musa rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Stel." With that, she and the other girls disappeared in their rooms.

"Argh!" The blonde's pout deepened. "Fine, then!" she yelled before going in her own dorm room.

Two hours later, the Winx stepped outside, immediately getting welcomed by a golden-orange sky. "So how are we going to get to Arscix?" Bloom asked. "Ms. Faragonda didn't say anything about a portal."

"Bloom!" Stella gasped at her friend, dropping her three large bags of luggage on the pale ground. "What are you saying!? Have you not remembered our usual way for transportation?"

"What?" The redhead's question couldn't be heard as a large, orange-brown ship stopped above the school, then gently gliding down. "The guys!"

The door of the ship opened and rested on the ground, then a young man with short brown hair with a long fringe appeared. He wore the blue and white Red Fountain specialist uniform. "Do you ladies need a ride?" he asked, playfully bowing.

"Snookums!" Stella immediately tackled her boyfriend.

Brandon laughed. "Glad to see you too, Stel."

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><p>"So how long before we get to Arscix?" Layla asked an hour later from her seat beside her fiancée Nabu.<p>

"Not long," the redhead piloting the ship replied. He readjusted his glasses. "In a day or two."

"Really?" Bloom blinked. "That's fast."

"Well, with the new hyper engine I installed, it _should_ be fast."

Only minutes passed before they were out of the skies and into the never-ending layers of space. Stars twinkled all around them, and only Bloom seemed dazzled at the sight; probably because she's never been in outer space before, just using portals to go wherever place at the time. The others must've been used to it already.

She walked away from the group and entered a more secluded part of the ship. It had two brown-ish red chairs that were more comfortable than the ones at the front of the ship, along with one floor plant, and one whole wall was a window. The perfect place to just relax and watch the surroundings go by.

"Would you like some company?" Bloom turned around to see her boyfriend Sky standing in the doorway.

She giggled and sat in one of the chairs. "Sure!" When he joined her, she rested her head on his broad shoulder while he wrapped his muscular arm around her waist. They sat like that for a long while, just watching the billions of stars go by at a slow pace – when in actuality, the ship was flying pass them at an alarming speed.

Bloom inhaled deeply, taking in the ocean scent of Sky's hair. _Hm_, she thought, _he must've borrowed Brandon's shampoo Stella got for him._ She sighed heavily.

"What's wrong, Bloom?"

" . . . " The redhead lowered her eyelids, shaking her head to herself all the while before sitting up straight. "It's just...Ms. Faragonda said Arscix will be dangerous the instant we cross that invisible line separating it from other dimensions and realms, and . . . I don't want you to be in danger."

Very slight annoyance flashed through Sky's eyes. "Bloom, I'm a Specialist. This is the kind of thing I'm suppose to do. Besides," he continued, pulling her close again, "do you really think I'd let you go on this mission where you're in danger?" He smiled. "I'd come anyway."

Bloom shook her head slightly to get her boyfriend's long blonde hair out of her eyes, then returned his smile. "Thanks, Sky."

He kissed her forehead. Right when they were about to relax and stare out the window again, a large explosion sounded from nearby and the ship rocked violently.

Bloom almost screamed. "What was that!?"

"Let's go check!"

When they ran back to the pilot station where they left the others, Bloom immediately noticed her friends had transformed into their Enchantix. "What's going on, guys!?"

Before any of them could answer, a deep, hoarse laughter cut in. Bloom's eyes widened at the familiarity of it. "Hello, Bloom!" A man floated upward until he could be seen through the window of the ship. He wore a large thick red-ish brown coat with a light ruffled shirt underneath. The ponytail his light brown hair was tied into seemed to blow without a breeze, and he smirked darkly.

"Baltor...!" Bloom growled through gritted teeth. Her eyes blazed as three other figures appeared by the wizard's side.

"And the witches," Musa added in a hiss.

"I don't think their too happy to see us," Darcy said, observing her gloved hands. She smirked as she turned to her sisters. "And after we went through all that trouble to come visit them."

"They should show more appreciation!" Stormy grinned. Lightning crackled at her hands. "Let's teach them some respect!"

"Now calm down, ladies." The man waved a hand. "There's no need to rush... The slower, the more painful."

"That's it, Baltor!" Bloom yelled. "We're going to end this once and for all!" She transformed into her Enchantix: a sparkling, colorful, ruffled dress of aqua-blue, mint-green, and petal-pink. She and the girls flew out while the guys climbed on top of the ship. Timmy and Tecna stayed behind to fix the ship and keep it steady.

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><p>All the fights the group had been through were all tough and exhausting, and this one was no different; but like most battles, the Winx always manage to pull the upper hand. "Dragon Flame!" Bloom yelled at the top of her lungs as a large ball of red and orange fire sparked in her hands. Once it grew to the max, she threw it at Baltor.<p>

He dodged it easily. "Come now, is that the best you have to offer?"

"Oh, I'll _show _you my best!" She launch another attack, but this time he caught it in his hands. She gasped.

"Cute." He shrugged. "Very cute." Baltor threw the fire ball back, hitting his target with perfect aim and sending her crashing to the hard surface of the ship.

"Bloom!" Sky cried as he ran over. "Bloom, say something!" He kneeled down beside her. "Are you okay?"

She struggled to lift herself up in a sitting position. "Argh! I'm fine." Her eyes blazed again before she flew back to Baltor. "Enigma Blast!" Lava-like flames bubbled above her hands then shot out to the wizard. It hit him directly, but didn't seem to cause much injury.

Baltor examined his slightly burned coat. "Hm. Not bad." His dark gaze went to Bloom. "But not good enough." Extending his hand out, a purple-red light shot out, but Bloom blocked it with a flaming shield.

Her blonde fairy friend then flew out from behind her and toward Baltor. Her body radiated like the sun as her orange two-piece dress sparkled brightly. "Solar Eclipse Blast!" Stella held her hands out together to let an almost blinding bright sunlight gather in them, then she let it go, sending it straight at her opponent. Baltor counteracted with a another purple attack of his own; it made most of the solar blast disappear, but the little that remained managed to hit him. That didn't slow down his reflexes one bit, however, for as soon as Stella's attack did its job, he threw a dark red blast right back.

The brightness of the fairy dimmed before her body gave out. "Stella!" Bloom cried as she fell; Stella was falling away from the ship! Right when Bloom made a move to catch her friend, Brandon came to her rescue instead.

After a brief moment of relief, Bloom fixed her glare back on Baltor. "You'll pay for that!"

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><p>"Morphix Fold!" Soft pink liquid twisted and turned under the ice witch as it stretched higher and higher to wrap around its target.<p>

"Humph. How easy." With just flick of her wrist, an icy wind blew at the morphix creation, freezing it. "Is that all?"

Layla smirked. "Nope." Her dark hands shined a rose pink; the frozen liquid dissolved quickly and went at Icy faster than before. In the brief moment the white-haired witch was stunned, Nabu appeared and waved an arm in a smooth circular motion; the liquid became larger and the speed increased even more.

"What the – !?" Icy tried teleporting away, but in the nanosecond that she flashed back, the blast hit.

Layla glided down slowly until she stood next to her fiancé. They gave each other a high-five. "That's what I call teamwork!"

Nabu chuckled.

But their satisfaction came to a sudden halt when Riven skid passed them and hit the metal ship hard. He growled as he sat back up, but when Riven opened his eye, he found his vision was nothing more than a blur. Blinking only made it worse, so he settled for keeping them closed to adjust.

By the time he opened them again, the weather witch had already turned her attention on him. Stormy threw a lightning blast to finish him off. "So long, loser!" She cackled.

Riven's forearms covered his face and he tensed his muscles, bracing for a painful injury . . . but it didn't come. He hesitantly peeked through a crack, then relaxed, his purple eyes meeting his rescuer: a fairy with long, midnight blue hair styled in pigtails was shielding the attack; his girlfriend, Musa.

After the lightning disappeared, Musa stomped her feet, waved her arms, and began shaking her hip until waves of vibrations gathered all around her. "Boom Box Wave!" The attack flew swiftly toward Stormy; her counterattacks had no affect and she was hit directly, but she wasn't defeated. As the witch tried to clear the ringing from her ears, Musa turned to Riven, concern in her blue eyes. "Are you okay, Riven?"

He didn't respond at first, but after a few seconds his blank gaze turned to a glare. "I can take care of myself!" he yelled, standing. He continued to stare her down, then walked away moments later.

Musa's hands clenched into fists. "You're welcome!" she yelled after him, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

From where she stood, Layla glared at Riven as he passed by, even though he seemed to not notice. How could he do that to her friend? Didn't he realize how much it hurt her? Layla made a mental note to talk to him later. Now, she had to focus her attention back to the battle at hand.

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><p>"This isn't good!" Timmy cried.<p>

Tecna glanced his way. "What is it, Timmy?"

"Darcy must've broke into the ship's main fuel source; we're losing a lot of power, I don't think I can fix it while we're still in space!"

"You just concentrate on getting the ship down safely, I'll go to the engine room and see what I can do!"

Before she walked away, the redhead turned around and grabbed her hand. "Darcy might still be down there. Please, be careful, Tecna."

She blushed slightly and nodded. "I will!" She ran to the engine room., but opening the door, she found the room dark and the light switch unable to work. _Really. The times when I need Stella most . . ._ Tecna thought as she felt her way around. She didn't go far, however. She stopped dead in her tracks as a burning, fowl scent filled the small area.

She heard a chuckle. "Too late, Tecna. I've already destroyed your precious engine."

"Darcy!" Tecna glared into the shadows despite her eyes having not adjusted just. "Come out here!"

"Tsk, tsk. I've been behind you the whole time." Before the fairy of technology could react, she felt a strong blast hit her from behind. When she spun around, all she could see were dark eyes and glowing hands. "Sorry, but I gotta go. I wouldn't want to blow up." With that, she teleported out of the ship.

"Blow up?" Tecna's blue eyes widened. "Oh, no!"

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><p>Bloom, Stella, Sky, and Brandon double teamed against Baltor, but the boys got nowhere while the girls were barely getting hitting him. Soon the others came to assist, the Trix having been taken down. "Girls, we've got to do Convergence!" Bloom said when Tecna and Timmy joined them.<p>

"But I don't think I have enough magic for that," Stella replied.

"Bloom," Tecna started, "we don't have time for it! The ship is – "

"Don't worry!" Sky said, running in front of the Winx with the other guys, oblivious to what Tecna was saying. "We'll cover you!"

"But – "

"Not now, Tecna!" Bloom cut in. "It's the only way. Come on, girls, convergence!"

As the Winx began to focus all their power into one, Baltor rolled his eyes at the guys charging his way. "Please. I don't have time to waste my powers on you weaklings." He easily blew the Specialists away with a flick of his hand. He gazed at the six girls and smirked. Closing his eyes, Baltor began to chant under his breath, and as he did, a rotating brown-red circle appeared at his feet, sparkling and creating a light breeze. Soon, a red-ish pink lightning crackled widely his hands and small flames of the same color began to take form around the circle.

The Specialists ran to him again, but when they got close, lightning whipped at them. The girls finally opened their eyes and glared at Baltor. "Ready, girls?!" Bloom asked.

"Yeah!"

"Convergence!" they all yelled. A gigantic blast filled with all their powers escaped their grasps and headed straight for the wizard.

Just as it was about to hit, Baltor opened his eyes and the blast disappeared in a wink. He chuckled at the group's jaw-dropped reaction. "This is the day you all lose!" Brown-red light flashed all around him as the wind picked up. "Marvel at this ancient spell. You will forget everything you have learned since the day you were born; every person you have ever associated with not remember you, as if you never existed." The light and wind blended together, stretching higher and higher until it swirled into a large twister. "You will have new lives where you won't know anything about the magical dimensions." The tornado finally turned onto the group, swallowing them in its depths.

"Guys!" Layla's cry died away as she desperately tried to hold on to her friends. "Don't let go!"

"I...I can't!" Flora's grip slowly weakened until she slipped from the others' grasps, but when she let go, another hand grabbed it.

"Hold on, Flora!" Helia urged, pulling her close.

Baltor's voice rang out from beyond the twister. "So long, _Winx_!" He spat the name as if it was poison. "Have a good life faraway from Arscix!"

Before any of them could process what he said, the wind quickened, forcibly pulling everyone apart.

They screamed long and hard as they were blown away, their hands still extended out to reach something – anything, but nothing was there to grasp. The group of twelve turned into twelve individuals; they each fell down through the dark abyss of space; no speck of land visible that would hint to a landing location.

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><p>Baltor took his time flying away even as the large explosion of the ship's destruction blasted behind him. The Trix appeared at his sides as the crackling of the flames rose in the darkness.<p>

"The plan worked!" Stormy snickered. "Nice one, Icy!"

"Of course it did," she purred. "Now we won't ever see those little pixies' faces again!"

"Now, now, ladies." Baltor didn't look their way as he smirked in a distant direction. "We can celebrate later. Our next stop is Arscix, where we'll pay a little visit to Desyria."

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><p><em>That's it! I hope the way I structured the prologue hasn't been a huge turn-off to everyone. Although I do love the explanation of Arscix myself, I understand if others didn't have the energy to read a fairly lengthy piece right after. I apologize for that, but hope you continue to read. The chapters get to the point faster.<em>

_**3) **The only reason the prologue was so long was because I felt I needed to portray the Winx's relationship with their boyfriends, and partly their friendship to each other before going into the real plot, which you can probably predict that they'll all be separated. It will be a tiny bit before some of the girls meet their (not) boyfriends again, and a **whole** lot longer before the **entire** group is even together again. I'm estimating at **least** twenty chapters before they're all together in **one room!** But even_ twenty_ is being nice, so you see why I added the extra interactions here?_

_**4)** As a reminder, I did **not** create Arscix just to add space. If it wasn't important, I would have never created it in the first place! I know it'll be a while before some things resolves themselves, but please keep Arscix in mind._

_More about this story will be covered in chapter one, so for now I just want to say thank you again for reading and I hope you continue to read!_


	2. 1: Goodbye, Past, Hello, Future!

_Okay, I have just finished going over this chapter again. All corrections have been done as well as some tiny changes._

_Now let me warn you guys, the first six chapters (including this one) will be long(-ish) introductions of how the girls' lives are on Earth. But also in each chapter, are a couple of very important elements that will effect future chapters. Some huge and obvious, others tiny and doesn't seem important. Even if the element seems minor and/or nonexistant in the chapter it appears in, it'll get a lot bigger later or at least mentioned._

_**Important:** You know how I said this is based in season three? Well, Andy's in here. He was introduced in season four, but technically he was there before season one since he was Bloom's ex. I haven't decided if Roxy will be in here or not since the same applies to her. Also, when they were sent to Earth, I'm talking not Gardenia, but actual countries and such. Like France, Japan, the U.S, etc. Okay? Everything good? Great!_

_So anyway, thanks for reading that. ya'll know the disclaimer, so read on!_

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><p><strong><em>*Chapter I ~ Goodbye, Past; Hello Future!<em>**

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><p><em><strong>Bloom's POV<strong>_

All I could see was black. Nothing, but black. As if I was swallowed in the never-ending dark abyss of a black hole, never to return. It was too dark. Too dark in this world – or whatever it was.

So overwhelming. . . . So lifeless. . . . So . . . so . . . irresistible.

Even though I hated this awful feeling of uneasy and restlessness you get from being locked in a room for way to long, I made no attempt to find the light. I tried to cling to whatever darkness I had left. The peaceful darkness that I never wanted to leave in the first place.

. . . But . . . no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't escape the darkness to a better, more colorful place.

A very rough, hoarse, and frustrated growl rumbled in my dry throat as I twisted and turned on the extremely soft and fluffy surface under me, to cling onto the bits of sleep I still felt within my exhausted yet relaxed body.

Soon, however, I had to unfortunately give in and groan my frustrations out. I opened one eye, but immediately closed it back again; the sun rays streaming through my blind-covered window rested straight on my face and was way too bright to cope with right now. I made another attempt a few minutes later, but failed miserably again. The sun is officially my enemy.

"Bloom, honey!" my mother's warm and chipper voice rang out, muffled only by the closed door, and broke the peaceful silence my room offered. "It's time to get up! Don't decide to sleep in on a day like today!"

I sighed heavily. _She's right_, I thought. _Come on. Get up!_ I rolled onto my stomach and slowly pushed myself up with my bent arms. I shook my head gently, enough for my thick hair to fall to the sides. Having the protection I needed, I finally raised my eyelids all the way to see my light pink pillow and matching bed sheets, shadowed by my hair; my eyes adjusted quickly.

I fell back on the bed and turned on my back, then sat up. My head still weighed heavily with fog as I rubbed the sand out of my eyes. Afterwards, I gazed around my room to clear my vision. It was quite girly with its cream-painted walls that had the slightest tint of pink, and a pale pink carpet to match. Many shelves decorated the walls with purses, clothes, and shoes occupying them. The large window at the wall across from the door had a long windowsill with a pale cherry-pink cushion and long draperies to match; and a blue lamp stood at one end, behind the round headboard of my bed. Under the windowsill was a drawer without a handle, I usually kept my diary and other treasured things in there. I never realize how girly my room is until I stop to really look at it.

The room itself was a good size – nothing extravagantly big, but not too small either. Just right for an eighteen-year-old girl like me. I threw the blanket with little ruffles off of me and reluctantly hopped off the bed.

As I made my way to the bathroom door in my room, I stopped when I caught sight of my reflection in the full-length mirror on the wall. I wore comfy light blue pajamas with a cute pale yellow duck splashing in water in the front of the long-sleeved top; and yellow trimmed the collar, sleeve-ends and the bottom of the baggy pajama pants. It complimented my pale complexion with its own light color, and heightened my sapphire blue eyes. My fairly poofy, vibrant, orange hair _just_ reached my hips – though, it was probably actually a little passed it if I'd straighten it. My eyes stared at the many messy sections. How I hate bed hair.

With another yawn, I went to the bathroom to freshen up and shower. When I came out with a towel wrapped around my body, I went to the closet and picked out a fitting, short-sleeved, light blue and white midriff that striped horizontally, and had four pink hearts on the front-side with each one above another. Next I grabbed a ruffled, navy blue miniskirt that only reached the middle of my thighs, and thigh-length light blue socks. To complete the look, I wore my new midnight blue, ankle-length high-heeled boots that had light blue at the bottom and under the shoes, including the heel.

After changing, I flew out the door and down the stairs with newfound energy. I found my parents – well, my adoptive parents – in the kitchen like every morning. I don't know what happened to my biological parents. Mike and Vanessa – the couple who adopted me – had always wanted a child, but couldn't have one; so one day while Mike was saving a dog from a house fire, he found me as a baby.

As I gazed at them from the doorway to the kitchen, a smile tugged at my lips. I don't care whether or not they're my real parents, I love them all the same.

My mother just placed a ham omelet on a plate with the spatula. She pushed her bob-cut, brown hair behind her ear as she poured fresh orange juice in a glass. My father was a tough-built kind of guy, with short, blonde hair – getting paler with age. He was sitting at the table drinking a cup of Starbucks coffee. "Hey!" I greeted as I walked in.

"Good morning, Honey!" My mom smiled at me before setting the plate on the table, along with the juice.

"'Morning, Kiddo!" My dad ruffled my hair when I sat down next to him. A gray-blue rabbit hopped on the table in front of me and leaped over the plate and cup to my shoulder.

I giggled. "Good morning to you too, Kiko!"

"So, excited?" Dad asked me as I bit into the omelet.

I looked up at him. "Yeah! But I'm a little nervous too. I have to give that speech, you know."

Mom smiled softly as she gave me a perk on my forehead. "It's natural to be nervous, Bloom. Everyone is when doing something in front of a crowd - especially public-speaking." She stroked my hair with her hand, straightening out the messy strands Dad had made, and also as a reassuring gesture. "Just remember when you get up there, before you speak, take a deep breath. It'll put your mind at ease and you'll focus on your speech and not the people." She winked. "Besides, we know you'll do great!"

I felt my eyes light up at that and hugged her tightly. Mom always knew what to say. It was the twenty-first of May; the day I graduate from highschool. It was hard to believe that after four long years, I'd be leaving there . . . and going to college this Fall. Leaving my parents and not seeing most of my friends for a long time. All the memories I had of school and home played in my mind, almost overwhelming me. My eyes started to sting with coming tears, but I didn't let them well up.

Instead, I finished up my breakfast and drank the juice in one whole gulp, which made Mom giggle. I stood up and said, "I'm going to go out for a bit. You think you guys can bring my gown and cap over at school? I'll meet you there."

They nodded and as I headed out the door with Kiko following me, I heard Dad call out to me, "We'll get there a little earlier than planned to give you the gown, okay?"

"Yeah! Thanks!" With that, I closed the front door and hopped on my red bicycle. I rode around the block to the park. It was the place I always went to when I wanted to relax and think, or be alone for awhile.

I could see the open, grassy field straight ahead, but as I got closer . . . something didn't feel right. I stopped as cars drove by, blocking my way. I took this moment to debate whether I was imagining that feeling of being watched. Glancing around and over my shoulder, I didn't see anyone or anything that looked suspicious, yet I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling off.

The air seemed still. Eerily still. No wind blew at all – which was strange for North Carolina. You'd _always _feel a breeze; everyday, no matter the weather or season. To the point you'd barely notice a wind whipping your hair about or something. But even when it would be a hot day with barely any wind, the air didn't seem _still_. There was always _something_ in it.

I glanced around again. Nothing. Were eyes watching me from someplace I couldn't see? Waiting until I was alone? Out of sight from a lot of people?

I shuddered. _Stop that!_ I scolded myself. _You're freaking yourself out!_ I was so caught up in my thoughts, I didn't realize the street light had turned red awhile ago. Kiko slapped my arm lightly to get me back to reality, and once I was, I continued toward my destination.

I finally hopped off my bike and chained it to the fence entrance at the park. Kiko followed as I began to walk through the peaceful, quiet field. The grass was nicely mowed in the design of vertical stripes, and very few cherry blossom trees were growing about. I was just pausing to gaze at a patch of sunflowers and lilacs when a screeching noise that made me cringe until I wanted to dissolve in a hole echoed. Immediately, I spun around to see who or what made that racket.

And I was surprised to find a boy seemingly around my age sitting on a bench nearby, tuning his guitar. He had messy, short, black hair with a long, swept fringe that was parted in two spots, slightly covering his soft brown eyes. He wore navy blue jeans with white-blue stripes; a long-sleeved cherry-maroon shirt despite the warm weather, that had a thick, horizontal blue stripe on the front, with two slightly thinner lighter-blue ones sandwiching it; Over it was a funky white vest with a very long collar; and to finish the attire, plum-colored boots hid his feet. He was my (_very_) cute, fun-loving friend, Andy. I've known him all through high school and he was also my ex-boyfriend.

I smiled and ran toward him, but right when he noticed me, I tripped on a stupid rock that refused to be moved from the ground. I was muttering things under my breath when I slowly pushed myself up with my arms. A shadow fell in front of me, and when I looked up, I saw a hand being held out. "Need a hand, princess?" Andy flashed a bright grin at me.

Grinning back, I took his hand while playfully saying, "Why, thank you, kind sir." There was a silent pause, then we both burst out laughing. "Shouldn't you be at school?" I asked once we caught our breaths.

"I was going to ask you the same thing." He grinned again, then gestured to his orange guitar laying on the brown, wooden bench. "I had plenty of time, so I figured I'd make sure my guitar's ready for the graduation party tonight. Now what's _your _excuse?"

I shrugged. "Just wanted to relax before the big speech." I fiddled with my fingers, a habit I did when I was nervous.

Apparent Andy noticed, because he placed his hand on my shoulder. "You know what, Bloom?" He continued when I focused my attention on him. "Everyone gets nervous no matter what they do; it's practically a law!" I chuckled at that. "Just imagine being by yourself in your room or someplace else, with no people around. Just you – and Kiko too," Andy added when Kiko gave him an annoyed glare.

I giggled. "That way," Andy continued, "you'll feel more relax."

I nodded, taking in the advice, then looked up at Andy. "That helped a lot. Thanks, Andy!"

He smiled, which – for some reason – made me want to smile back eagerly. "Hey, anytime!"

We spent the next hour hanging out in the park, talking and laughing about a variety of things; mostly school, though. About the good, the bad, the funny, the depressing, the teachers, the classmates, _everything_. As we started to reminisce the memories, I felt that familiar feeling of sadness again. Sometimes it's amazing how you don't realize what's happening or what you're doing until it comes to an end. I always liked school, but it never accord to me how much I'd miss it.

Believe me, I know it's not the end of the world or anything, it'll just be weird to not see the same people I know around the halls and classrooms. College will be like starting over at zero again, then working my way up until graduating from _there_.

I slowly broke away from my thoughts as a hand waved in front of my face; then the half singing sounds of _yoohoo_ and '_Earth to, Bloom?_' rang its way in my ear. I turned my head to see Andy staring at me with a mixture of confusion, concern, and amusement on his face. "Yo, Bloom, what's up?"

"Oh, nothing. Just thinking."

"Well, it's already nine-thirty, we should get going."

"Nine-thirty . . . ?" There was a short and silent pause before my eyes widened and I jumped off the bench in the next moment. "I promised to meet my parents early! I gotta go; see you later, Andy!" I smiled and waved at him as I dashed to the spot where I left my bike with Kiko at my heels.

His voice was faint as I ran, but I still heard his reply. "See ya! And good luck!"

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><p>"There you are, Bloom!" My mom waved as I ran up to my parents in the parking lot.<p>

"Sorry, guys!" I hugged them both while smiling apologetically. "I ran into Andy and lost track of time."

"Andy?" A knowing glint appeared in Mom's eyes. "It's been awhile since you hung out with him."

It took me a moment to realize what she was getting at. "No, no!" I waved my hands in front of my chest frantically as I felt my face heat up. "I'm not going out with him again!" This only made Mom giggle.

I pouted in response. Dad laughed, though I could tell he wanted to change the subject. He was never comfortable with me dating. He handed me my dark blue gown and cap. "Knock them dead!"

I nodded before turning. "Wish me luck!" With that, I ran to the auditorium, hurriedly slipping the blue gown over my head.

I was just in time for the line up. Soon enough the dreary music began to play and all of us graduates walked up the wooden aisle (sounds like a wedding, doesn't it? Haha!) to the red-ish-brown seats in front. The principle – a middle-aged, heavy-set, bald man – stood behind the podium on stage. Like all schools, he briefly talked about the school's history, then his hopes and expectations. I'm sure it lasted for a good two or three hours, but eventually he finally turned his attention to the patient seniors sitting in front of the stage now.

"Now I come to the reason why we are present. Once again, this time of year, is the graduation of our seniors here at Lawrence High. They have all worked hard to finish their studies and accomplish getting through four long years of highschool." He paused, gazing down at us fondly. "Today they shall take their first steps through life, and go onward to college; where they'll experience new situations and discover more interesting things about themselves."

Mr. Howard took a deep breath, but my nerves started to well up again. "Before starting the ceremony, I'd like a certain student to come up and say a few words." I gulped. "Miss Bloom!"

The audience applauded as I smiled shakily and got out my seat. Mr. Howard moved aside a few feet so I stood behind the podium, and shook my hands. I looked at the crowd gathered. So many people watching me, waiting to hear the speech I prepared. I felt my legs go numb. I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

My eyes shifted to look anyway but the people here, but no use. At my side was Mr. Howard, on my other side was the teachers, and in front, the crowd. I gulped again. I was beginning to step away from the stand when I suddenly caught a flicker of movement. I looked up to see my mom and dad waving. _That's right,_ I thought. _Take a deep breath._ My chest rose slightly as I took in the air, then my eyes swept through the crowd again. Andy was there in the front row. When he caught me looking at him, he gave a thumb's up. _Imagine you're somewhere else. . . ._

I closed my eyes, picturing myself in the park at sunset. With the orange light playing on the trees and grass like the movies. A light breeze ruffling my long hair. Kiko sitting a few feet in front of me, waiting to listen as I practiced.

I opened my eyes and took another breath. "Going here to Lawrence High had been more of an adventure than any other I've had in my life. It had its ups and its downs, with twists and turns that I'm sure every student experiences." Some of my classmates nodded in agreement. "Sometimes it got really hard to walk in and just enjoy the day without the fear of being made fun of and the new topic of gossip, but we took the things that happened and learned from it."

I paused, letting the sentence sink in everyone's minds and recall memories. "I couldn't tell you how nervous I was when I entered highschool. From all the stories I heard, it sounded like a scary place; but it wasn't too bad once you got used to it. I'm glad to have experienced every situation I got into, and I'll take everything to help me through life. I'm happy to have made so many friends whom I can really count on.

"It'll be a little hard leaving," I concluded, "but after the years I've spent here, I'm sure we all will want to build ourselves even more at a new place." I smiled brightly at everyone. "Goodbye, Lawrence High; hello future!" I got a standing ovation with delighted cheers. I felt as if I could collapse on my bed and go into a deep sleep right then and there; that speech took a lot out of me surprisingly.

And so, the ceremony began and we all got our diplomas, and right after that, we threw our caps in the air and cheered.

Later – once the picture taking was done – my parents hugged me in congratulations. "We have a surprise for you, Bloom!" Dad said suddenly.

My eyes brightened. "What is it!?"

"We're going to Germany this Summer!"

My jaw dropped briefly before squealing. "Really? That's awesome!"

"We should get in some family fun before you go off to college," Mom said. I hugged both of them again, repeating how thrilled I was.

Just then, Andy came up. "Hey! The graduation party is about to start!"

"Have fun, Bloom!" Dad smiled as Mom nodded.

"See you guys at home!" When Andy took my hand to lead me back into the building, I felt my heart skip a beat. Why was this happening now of all times? We're over. Over and done with.

. . . Then how come my face threatened to blush every time he smiled at me at the party?

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><p><em>That was chapter one! Hope it was okay!<em>

_Special Thanks to my Reviewers:_ Gloxinia, musicalinstrument, , angel2u, _and_ Tattle-Tail-Secret09


	3. 2: Reality is not Fantasy

All right! Chapter two in motion! XD I wanted to post last week, but was on vacation. :/ But I'm back now, and I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

**_To my fabulous reviewers_**: (I usually PM my reviewers individually, but since I have anonymous reviewers now, I'll reply to all like this (and to those of you I have already replied too, my replies this time may be a little different)

**Gloxinia:** LOL XD I can understand the disliking the two of them, but I'm glad the chapter turned out good anyway. :)

**bookworm842:** I'm still undecided, but it's very unlikely that Roxy would be in this story. Mainly because I think she clashes with Flora a little and I can't think of a proper plot for her. But, it's also possible she _will_ be in here, but not until much later.

**angel2u:** LOL XD The next chapter is up now. ^ ^

**musicalinstrument:** Hehe. You're on to something there, but at the same time, not very close.

**katey19000:** Haha! Yeah, those were obvious. I think everyone guessed them right. XD But let's see if you can spot all the hints here. ;)

**ME:** LOL. Well, I can tell you this, I had no clue when Flora's birthday was. I had picked that date because I knew graduation took place in Spring in America, and that it was very close to Summer. I'm happy you loved it.

Okay! Y'all know the disclaimer, so onward we go! XD

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><p><strong>*Chapter <strong>**II ~ **_**Reality is not Fantasy**_

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><p><em><strong>Stella's POV<strong>_

_Brilliant laughter filled the skies as beautiful Autumn leaves gracefully fell down the colorful, towering trees in the forest. As they got lower and lower, the light breeze blew them in different directions, but all of them ended up landing on the soft, earthy surface of the light dirt path._

"_Come, Stella!"_

"_Stella, honey, let's go!"_

_My beloved parents' voices echoed in the air, being carried by the wind to my petite ears. "I'm coming!" I took gasping breaths as I hurriedly ran to my parents, holding up my pink dress so I wouldn't trip all the while. I didn't have to run, they would wait for me forever; but I wanted too._

_My shaky breaths turned to giggles of delight when my father smoothly lifted me off the ground and softly threw me up in the air. As I was caught again, my mom joined us in the fun. She took me in her arms and twirled several times before kissing my forehead. "Oh, Stella . . . you're so cute!" She hugged me tightly enough to suffocate me, but I didn't mind; I embraced her with just as much force, hearing Dad's bellowing laugh in the background._

_We continued down the path with my father carrying me on his shoulders. With one hand resting on his head, I used the other to reach up and try to catch one of the falling leaves. I think Autumn is my favorite season. Soon, I could finally see a wide opening through the trees, casting the bright sunlight inside it. As we got closer, the light seemed to get brighter and brighter until it was blinding me._

_At the opening, Dad paused and chuckled under his breath; then he surprised me by bending low before jumping as high as the treetops through the entrance._

_I thought I was officially blind then, but my eyes adjusted quickly. We were on top a cliff, overlooking the land below. The mountain landscape was the most beautiful in all the land, with trees extending for miles, and rivers and large waterfalls in several spots. It was breathtaking._

_Dad put me down and I immediately ran toward the cliff's edge to get a better view. "Stella, be careful!" Mom's warning was full of concern and panic. I spun around on my heel to let her know I would be okay, but when I did . . . everything seemed to move upward._

_It was all in slow motion. The ground rising; Dad's stunned expression; Mom's dramatic gasp of breath; the sky getting farther away . . ._

_I didn't even realize I fell until the rush of air knocked the wind right out of me. Instead of my tears flowing down my cheeks, they flew upward. I was spun me violently until I faced the ground below, which was just meters away._

_I closed my eyes and let out my last scream – which got cut off at the impact of the crash. . . ._

Bright light engulfed my vision. I couldn't see anything but the light. I screamed in aguish as my head throbbed with a pain that resembled the one in my unguarded eyes.

Where am I? Am I dead? Am I in Heaven? . . . But Heaven shouldn't feel this bad. Am I in Hell!

My body felt numb all over. It's like the entire ocean wass in my head, swishing around like a storm was disturbing it's peaceful rest.

I lay still, accepting the fate I was destined to have.

. . . But I'm still here. I blink once . . . twice . . . three times; the light fades slowly into a mass of colors.

I blink once more, and sit up. I was in my room. I sighed heavily. So it was a dream after all. . . . Well, not a dream . . . a nightmare.

I sighed again. I've been reliving that day every night for the pass few months. I don't know why; it's been thirteen years since that time in the forest. . . .

My thoughts were interrupted by my door opening. A pudgy woman in an old fashioned maid dress walked in. "Good morning, Princess. I have the bath ready for you."

I nodded. "Thank you. I'll be out in a moment." She bowed her head respectfully, then closed the door behind her as she left. I sat in my large, round, canopy bed for another minute with the orange blanket and peach sheets over my legs.

My room was painted with pastel colors, and the furniture was also quite bright, but it still complimented the room. The walls were a soft, light pearl color that seemed naturally glossy. Marble took the place of wood and carpet for my floors. It was a warm cream that always made me crave for a cappuccino. There were two, large bay windows. Both had baby pink curtains, and one – the one farthest from my bed – had a beautiful, large balcony.

I flipped the blankets off of me and hopped off the bed. The skirt of my peachy-pink nightgown fell delicately over my legs when I stood up straight. I walked aimlessly toward the bathroom door, not really seeing where I was going; just relying on noted instinct. I came back to reality when the cold shock from the tiles in the bathrooms went up my leg. My body still hadn't gotten its natural warmth back, so I stood still and shivered violently on the same foot.

A few minutes later, when I adjusted to the iciness, I continued in and closed the door. I turned two corners and found the large bath. It was filled with bubbles and I could still see the almost transparent steam radiating from the water. I striped off my clothes and walked up the steps to the bath. I hesitated slightly when I put my big toe in, then the rest of my foot. Eventually, I sighed in bliss as I let the hot-ish warm water engulf me. It was what I needed. Relaxation. After a nightmare like that.

The bathroom was very large, almost as big as my room. The walls and ceiling were made out of this warm, cream-yellow marble, while the tiled floors were melted pearls. There were several separate rooms in the bathroom. One consisting of makeup and nail polishes, another of skin care and lotions, the third of hair care and accessories, and the last one for my nightwear, robes, and other things you usually have on before or at bedtime.

Yes. I needed four, separate, decent-sized rooms for all those things. My hair was my prized possession, I had to make sure it got all the nutrients it needed. I hate the way I look with those disgusting pimples and rashes! So I always made sure I had all the best treatments for skin, and to apply them every other day – because constant washing of the skin can irritate it, which, a lot of the time, causes more breakouts. The nightwear and such room was for convenience. I always take a bath or the occasional shower before I go to bed, and I take them when I wake up too, so I use the robes when I'm done. Lastly my makeup room. I like showing a different look everyday, and to have a different look, you need makeup. A lot of varieties of makeup, including shades and texture. That room had another door to my room, right next to my makeup dresser; so that when I picked out what I was going to wear, I could quickly get the makeup.

I tried to close my eyes. To let the mineral water take its effects; but no matter how long I did, I couldn't rest in the fantasy-like world like I used too. Instead, I frowned as my thoughts went back to my nightmare.

I was six-years-old when that happened. I couldn't remember how I was rescued, or how I survived a crash like that; I should've been dead. Maybe it traumatized me so much that I forgot about it the second I opened my eyes.

I remembered it like it was yesterday. . . .

_My parents and I was going to have a picnic under the great flower tree. It was at the highest part of the mountain with a gorgeous – though, small – waterfall nearby. I was so excited. My parents were always busy, so we barely had time to spend together, yet when we did, the brief time was always so loving. . . ._

_That day, they decided to take the day off. It caused such an uproar, the work couldn't wait; but all they did was shake their heads and arrange the next day to go on a picnic. That meant so much to me._

But then I blew it. All because I was too stupid to notice the distance between me and that dumb cliff. . . . Yet . . . I doubt that's the reason why I'm feeling like this now. No. It was after that accident. . . . That time. . . . Yes. It was that time. . . .

I sighed heavily before getting out the bath, grabbing two towels as I did to wrap around myself and my hair. I turned one corner to find the nightwear and robe room. I picked out a random robe – which turned out to be my favorite one: it was a fuzzy, soft pink robe with little, golden-brown teddy grams bears on it. I went back into my room to the closet. I scanned the articles of clothing for the longest time. I didn't want to wear anything that'll make me sweat, but I didn't want something showing much skin either.

Eventually, I picked out a pretty, aqua-green halter top that had three, tiny orange circles in the middle, just below the strap and forming a triangle. I then pulled out navy-blue skinny-jeans. I made a slight face at them. I'm not one to wear pants, jeans, body-suits, or anything in that category; but I figured I'd do a balance. The halter is revealing my shoulders and arms, so the jeans is the coverup. Lastly, to put the outfit together more, sunny-orange, platform sandals with a cute, red sunflower on the strap.

I changed into the new clothes and went into my makeup and accessories room. I scanned the items before picking out three different containers and a forest green scrunchy. I sat down in front of my dresser, staring at myself in the mirror. My blonde hair was still damp from the bath, which made it straighter, probably reaching my calves or ankles. It was amazing how vibrant the color was. Even by taking care my hair, I didn't think it'd turn out this way. My brow-length-cut bangs were also straightened by the dampness, now covering the upper half of my eyes. That didn't take away anything, though. In fact, I think it only heightened them. My large, warm chestnut-brown orbs seemed to glow more with my bangs in front of them.

I half-smiled at that. I thought eyes were suppose to always tell what you were really feeling inside. . . .

I shook my head, ridding the thoughts. I make quick work of my makeup and pulled the sides of my hair back into a ponytail. I was applying pineapple-peach lip gloss when I heard a soft knock on my door. "Yes!" I called out.

The door opened to reveal the maid from earlier. "Your Highness, the King and Queen wish to see you in the Throne Room."

I nodded politely, almost robotically. "I'll be down in a moment." She bowed respectfully, then left. I got up and did a thrice-over in the mirror before walking out the room. I walked down many long halls made of marble. Countless portraits of passed generations of Liechtenstein royalty were hung on the pale walls. The closer you came to the Throne Room, the more recent the generation.

Usually, I'd pause in the hall just behind the door to the Throne Room, to stare at a certain portrait on the wall. It was one of the last ruler of Liechtenstein; my father's mother. My grandmother, Queen Luna Annaleisa.

I'd always gaze at it with a mixture of love, confusion, and resentment; but not today. . . . Not after I realized the cause of these nightmares.

Instead, I paused with one pale hand just touching the giant, majestic door. I licked my bottom lip briefly before setting my top front teeth on top of it gently, they sank in slightly from the gloss; it was something I always did when I was nervous. I closed my eyes and thought about that time in the forest, before the fall.

_It was still like that time. Nothing has changed, so come on , Stella! Why are you acting like this!_ My eyes snapped opened in a mix of determination and anger at my inner voice. I pushed the double doors open with both hands. They creaked loudly as they swung open. I held my head high as I walked into the large room.

Like my own room, the walls were of pale color, and made of marble and the floor, melted pearls. The design on the walls were very exotic and detailed and hard to describe, so I won't even try. A grand chandelier made of real diamonds and crystals hung from the ceiling. Like any typical Throne Room, it had a wide and very long, red carpet going from the main entrance to the stairs at the head of the room, which were a pale bronze color. Standing on top of the five steps were two large thrones, both made of pure gold; so shiny, you couldn't look at them directly, like the sun. And sitting in them . . . were the king and queen of Liechtenstein. My mother and father.

It was obvious I looked nothing like either of them. My father, Emerick, was a man with a noble look about him, and a well-worked build. I'm sure he had a six pack. He had short, auburn hair that was combed back, reaching the back of his neck. I noticed a few hairs just above his full lips. Interesting how he forgot to shave. . . . Father wore a fancy, white dress-shirt with few ruffles on the long sleeves. The shirt had some red, detail design on the ruffles and low collar. The pants were plain navy-blue tights. I inwardly made a disapproval sigh at his attire. He really should let me or mother pick out his clothes again.

Yes. Mother. I smiled softly, probably barely noticeable. Verena is her name. She had long, straight, jet-black that reached her waist. Her delicate skin had a wrinkle or two from age, but she still looked very beautiful. I got my fashion sense from her. Right now, she wore a gorgeous red gown that flowed elegantly to the floor. It had a beautiful gold design that resembled grapevines on the waist. As the design made its way to front, it curved upward and made this undescribable pattern from the chest to the gold collar. I could just see the elegant, black heels peeking under the skirt.

"Stella, what are you smiling at!" A sharp bark snapped me out of my thoughts. I instantly looked up to acknowledge the owner of the voice. "You do not drift off into a daydream full of nonsense when a person or persons of higher rank addresses you!"

"Yes, Mother. I'm sorry."

Father stared hard at me. "I hear that – "

"_We_, hear," my mother rudely interrupted with a sassy roll of her head. Father glared harshly at her. "That you've been slacking in your studies lately. Is that true, Stella?"

I opened my mouth to reply, but nothing came out. "Answer, Stella!" Father ordered. He gritted his teeth and a deep growl rumbled in his throat; that's when my whole body froze over. Father was scariest when he did that. A king would never hurt his child – whether for love or image – but the expression and gestures Father did when he was angry with me . . . I really believe he would hit me. . . .

"STELLA!"

I flinched violently, and replied, in a high-pitched, shaky voice, "I-I, uh . . . I, well. . . . " I searched desperately for some excuse. "I-I . . . I was busy!" _Oh, yeah. Good one, Stella._

Mother's brown eyes studied me carefully. "Busy? Doing what?"

"W-Well, I – "

"Busy doing nothing, that's what!" Father cut in, harshly. If this was a cartoon, I'm sure Father would be tomato-red and steam would be coming out of his ears now. "All you do is design clothes, shop, and stare at yourself for hours in the mirror! You don't do anything important to being a princess!"

I gasped, offended. How could he say that? I felt anger surge through me, and – before I realized what I was doing, I yelled back at him, "Excuse me! I don't do anything important? _Hello!_ Have you _seen _what everyone in Liechtenstein is wearing? It's a crime! I have to design _something _suitable for them!" I continued, not noticing Father's hard glare. "I'm being kind to these people. I spend all my designing time on them, and barely any for me, so I have to shop _sometime_!"

I flicked my bangs as if proving a point. Two seconds passed before I realized what I said. My eyes grew large and I quickly debated whether to stay and face the rage, or make a run for it – though, I wouldn't get far fast with the platforms I'm wearing.

I hesitantly glanced up. My mother's face was stern, but not mad. Maybe because she, herself, was just like me when she was my age – or at least, that's what she used to tell me.

Father, on the other hand, looked like he was about to jump out of his throne and strangle me. Father opened his mouth and stood up, but – thankfully – before he could scream at me, the main entrance opened to reveal a squire. "Your Majesties," he greeted, bowing low respectively to the royalty in the room. "There is a young m – um." He interrupted himself abruptly, when he looked up at Father's face. "I am sorry. Did I interrupt something?"

I took this opportunity to leave at a brisk pace back to the door I came in through. "STELLA!" I pretended that I didn't hear Father. Before I could reach the door, I felt something wet fall down my cheeks. _No. . . . Not here!_

I tried hard not to run until I closed the double doors fully; but instead of running, I just leaned my back against it and slumped to the floor, my tears streaming down my cheeks with no restraints.

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><p>I sighed heavily as I looked at the thick book that was lying open in front of me. It was a historical book about Liechtenstein's past back in . . . what was it? 1950? I raised one side of the book and glanced at the cover. <em>Oh. . . .<em> I was way off! 1680! I made a face, thinking with relief that my parents weren't here to watch my test. Last time they did, I had to retake the whole subject for two years! And I was still doing it. . . .

Anyway, I'm in my room now, taking the year test with my many tutors watching. If I pass this, I'll finally be done with all the needless 'education'. I should have been done last year like most eighteen-year-olds, but I had refused a lot of the studies. I mean, you don't even _need _most of this stuff – especially when your going to rule a kingdom, not be some kind of scientist or something! Why do you need to know about pi, pints, gallons, and stuff? _No one_ uses pi! That's why you never get an answer when it comes up! And no one with royal blood can even cook their own food! So why learn about cooking measurements? Ugh!

Oh, and incase anyone is wondering (Which I don't see why I'm bothering to say – Well, _think _this. It's not like I'm in some show or book or something. . . . I must be really bored.), it's been an hour later since my simple 'talk' with my parents. After that, I forgot about my test today and hurried to the library to scan some books; but as soon I as cracked open one, one of my tutors came in and stubbornly insisted that I come for my test. That's when I was surprised to see all of my teachers there. Usually it's just one, or the occasional two. I guess Father was serious that I should be watched from all angles when I'm studying and taking a test, to make sure I actually do it.

But I don't blame him too much. I do just fill in and circle random answers most of the time – and get away with it since my tutors never pay most of their attention to me. Except my language teacher, anyway. She's very serious when it comes to that subject, and pretty scary too. That's the only subject (Well, other than Art.) I actually study and pray I pass on.

I sighed again as I closed the book; it made a loud _thud _sound, which made all the teachers flinch in surprise. I half grinned, half smirked at that, and chuckled under my breath. "I'm done!" I announced in a sing-song voice.

One of the tutors – Arkie, Ardy, Ari, whatever, to be specific; he taught Science – cleared his throat (I knew he was just acting 'cool' to hide his embarrassment. Teehee!) and stood up from the chair he was sitting in. "Well, done, Your Highness. We'll grade your test accordingly and your score shall be up within the next hour or so."

I nodded politely as all the other teachers stood and filed out the door in a single line. Whatshisname lingered behind to grab my test, before leaving as well. I stretched my arms over my head and yawned; then I looked about my room. My thoughts went back to earlier in the Throne Room, and I instantly sighed. _Please, let me do well on the test!_ I silently prayed, my gaze dropping downward to the floor.

I got up and walked to my balcony. It overlooked the bottom half of the mountain and thick forest of trees. I always wondered how the castle could stand so rigid while balancing on a cliff. You'd think it would fall after an earthquake or something. I shrugged. _Ah, who cares?_ I decided. _The important thing is that it's okay._

Before I knew it, it was already sunset. I watched it as the blue sky slowly faded to green, then yellow, orange, red, back to orange, then suddenly pink. _Hm. . . . That'd be a great design for a halter dress . . . for a ball!_

My thoughts were interrupted by the glass door opening. I didn't turn around, but a side-glance told me whom had come to join me.

"Stella . . . " my mother seemed to say my name with much effort. Almost a strain.

That made me sadden a bit, but I turned around to face with an indifferent attitude. "Hey, Mom!" She blinked blankly at me. "Mother. . . . " I corrected myself in a voice just barely over a whisper. Awkward silence passed between the two of us before I heard Mother say my name again.

When she saw she had my full attention, Mother breathed in deeply. "Stella . . . I don't know how to say this, but . . . "

" . . . What is it, Mother?" I stepped forward once, ready to give any comfort or advice I could.

"Stella," she started again, "please be strong. . . . For me."

I unconsciously tilted my head to the side in puzzlement. "Of course. What's wrong?"

A brief silence took place again, but I think I would have preferred the silence for eternity compared to what Mother said next.

I don't remember what happened afterwards. When I came back to reality, I was curled in a ball on my bathroom floor. My entire outfit was soaked in the front, and my face drenched with liquid. I didn't know how I got here, but I continued. . . . Continued crying my entire heart out.

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><p>I hope everyone enjoyed! Comments and reviews are greatly appreciated~!<p>

Special thanks to my reviewers: Gloxinia, bookworm842, angel2u, musicalinstrument, katey19000, ME.

Thank you, guys!

**Important! Please read!:** It'll be a (possibly) long while before the next chapter is up. I haven't seen the third season of Winx Club in years, and I have no memory of Flora having a sister; so if anybody could tell me all they know about her, I'd be more grateful than you can imagine! And I'd write even faster to get the chapter up!


	4. 3: To Gain is to Sacrifice

_All right! Here's chapter three! I'm sorry. I wanted to have this up sooner, but my computer almost crashed, so I had to focus on getting it semi-working again._

_*tears* Path of Unperceived Hatred has 1,000+ hits and it's only on the third chapter (plus a prologue)! I never dreamed of that happening in a million years, but here it is in the flesh! *crying* And it's all thanks to you guys! THANK YOU!_

_First, I would like to give an extra, special thanks to everybody for helping me out with information about Flora's sister! I couldn't have done this chapter without you guys! You are the best reviewers anybody could ever have! And another special thanks to roxy fan 4 ever for giving extra information about Flora as well as Rose/Miele!_

_YOU GUYS ROCK!_

_To my fabulous reviewers:_

_**bookworm842:** Updated, just like you wanted! ;D_

_**lulugirl55:** Thank you! I hope you enjoy this next chapter!_

_**ME:** Thank you! I hope to see you again too!_

_**Gloxinia:** Lol. Cliffhangers are one of the best parts to any story. XD And yes. Each Winx will be having her own chapter, which are the first six chapters. :) But they will continue having their own chapters in the future also._

_**angel2u:** As a writer, I can't give out any big spoilers. ;P You'll have to wait and see in Stella's next chapter._

_**musicalinstrument:** Flora's up next. :) And then your favorite Winx girl. ;D_

_**Wendbria:** Thank you! :D And great, because it's Flora's turn for the spotlight! ;D_

_**spkdog:** Thank you for being honest. :) And yeah, I know. I wasn't very happy with it either, but I wanted to make the day of the premier of Winx Club on Nick; but no excuses. :) I have plans of rewriting the prologue sometime in the future. I'm glad you're still reading!_

_**katay19000:** Good! I'm glad you don't like them, that's what I was going for, lol. XD You have some pretty good guesses. I won't say which ones are right or wrong, but I will say there's a hint you haven't mentioned. ;D_

_Okay then! I just want to say that I chose to have Flora's sister's name as Miele, because I love how the meaning of her name (honey) fits in with nature without having it directly refer to plants._

_Ah, and I'm sorry if this chapter's a little boring. I found it a bit hard to write an 'introduction' chapter for Flora, but then I found myself making it longer than I originally planned..._

_**Disclaimer:** Must I really have this? Seriously, what are the odds of me owning anything? If I did, I wouldn't be putting it on FF, but actually in the show!_

_Now I shall shut up and let you people get on with the chapter (if you haven't already skipped this, anyway. ._. )._

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><p><em><strong>Chapter <strong>**III ~ To Gain is to Sacrifice**_

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><p><em><strong>Flora's POV<strong>_

White-yellow light reflected off the mirrors that hung on either side of the walls. It made the entire hall shine radiantly and I knew I'd probably be blinded if I looked at it directly, so instead, I kept my gaze on the glossy floor as I made my way down the tiled path. Lowering my eyelids, I paused at an entrance. I savored the coolness of the hall while bracing myself for the next step of my short journey; before my thoughts could linger, I took the last few steps needed to exit the large structure I called my home, and was immediately welcomed by the heavy air of the outdoors. Carefully picking my way down the short staircase to the garden, I smiled, suddenly feeling more open than I have in a while.

Once my bare feet met the fairly high temperature of the sand, I couldn't help but let out a deep sigh of contentment. The sun brought warmth to every little thing – I could see the rays being cast down a long distance away, and I began to wonder if there was anything that the sun couldn't touch. _Oh…well…_ I rolled my eyes, feeling a playful smirk on my lips. Let me rephrase that: I began to wonder if anything that isn't _in_ doors couldn't be touched by the sun.

A breeze – meant to be cool, but was more on the warmer side – lightly blew my knee-length hair back while it made the leaves and petals of the many plants in the garden rustle. I gazed at the plants, smiling softly. No matter how many times I see them or how much time I spend with them, I don't think I'll ever get tired of plants. There are just so many things that make them amazing! A lot of plants are fragile, yet…they're strong, too. They can withstand things most people can't, like climate or weather – _without_ having to be specially trained or owning the proper equipment. Plants don't need anything artificial to survive; they're strength is as natural as their beauty, and I think that might be what I love most about them.

I stopped in front of a large area surrounded by flowers; the vase I held needed just the tiniest tilt forward in order to start pouring water on them. The thin stems of the narcissus flowers swayed in response to the water grazing their petals and leaves. The cyperus papyrus stood a bit sturdier in comparison, what with it being a tree-like plant – although short and leafless. The large ball formed by the plant's thread-thin stems had always reminded me of a globe, just with a taller stand.

I watered several other plants before going to the small fountain standing in the garden's center. I glanced at it for a few moments longer than I probably should have; although we're far from going thirsty, it barely rained already. Water is precious and should be used to hydrate all living things, not make a stunning decoration just for bragging rights. I don't think I'll ever understand how Mom and Dad can keep this up...

I shook my head to rid the thoughts. What am I saying? Mom and Dad are good people. They're kind and always want what's best for everyone…_then why have this fountain?_

_Stop that!_ I immediately scolded myself. _It's not like it's big or anything, so stop being picky!_ I sighed heavily, and then positioned the vase under the pouring water. _Huh…_ I tilted my head slightly as the container continued to fill. W_ell, as least it has its uses…_

When I brought the vase back up, I took a moment to glance at my reflection. The image was shaky from the ripples, but I was easily able to make out the light caramel color of my skin. The blonde streaks were only on the bottom half of my bangs, while the upper half remained my natural hair color: a light brown with a subtle radiance to it…sort of like honey. The ripples lessened enough to where I could see my eyes more clearly. They were jade green, and very much on the exotic side – much like a native Asian's eyes, but the curves of mine were a little steeper. I always thought they were interesting, because I wasn't Asian, nor were there any present in my family tree.

The vase had just gone empty for a second time when a high-pitched voice suddenly rang over the garden. I stood up straight from the sunflowers and looked in the direction of the palace. A young man was visible at the entrance; I easily recognized him as one of the messengers, though still in-training. He was panting slightly. "Princess!" he called. "Pharaoh requests that you begin the arrangements for the Duke and Duchess's visit!"

I nodded, sending a polite smile his way. "I'll be right there!" The messenger nodded curtly and then, after finally catching his breath, disappeared back inside. Once I made it up the stairs, I placed the vase I had been using on the tiled floor and then maneuvered my way down several long halls. Most of the walls were a soft cream with the tiniest drop of gold in the color, and large flowerless plants stood on either side of most of the entrances, one on each side. The hallways leading to the royal bedrooms, meetings rooms, throne room, or other more 'significant' places, have different colored walls, though, as well as different paintings or images to emphasize the general location's purpose. Because of those unique qualities, I never got as lost as I could have while growing up, and I imagine many of the new workers are grateful for them also.

I could feel a frown tugging on my lips as I got closer to the dining room. To be honest, I didn't really want to go through with the planning. The reason for that is…the majordomo of the palace. He's been with the family ever since I could remember – probably before I was even _born_ – and right from the start, since my parents gave me the position, he's been mentoring me to take his place, as he wouldn't be needed anymore, but I . . . I . . .

With a slow shake of my head, I sighed. A certain golden-bronze door came into view seconds later and I drew in a deep breath. _Well…_, I thought. _Here goes nothing!_ As I opened the door, I took the briefest of pauses to scan the area before fully entering. Because the ballroom was attached to it, the dining room was the largest room in the palace. Instead of just 'dining room', I usually called the space the 'ballroom-dining area'.

I spotted the tall figure of Bongani almost immediately. One hand was on the single dark-wooden table as he stood over it, while the other was touching his slightly angular chin in a thoughtful position. Bongani was a man who one could instantly tell, at a glance, was as fit as he was knowledgeable. With a skin tone resembling a sort of caramel-chocolate color, Bongani possessed a very muscular torso, toned arms, and equally toned legs; he had an thin, yet full-shaped face, a sort of button-nose with a rounded point, and calm eyes a few shades darker than his skin. His entire aura gave off a sense of security, something that's uncommon, but welcomed whole-heartedly in the noble world.

Bongani turned when he noticed my presence, and then bowed as I got closer. "Good day, Princess," he greeted as he straightened up again. Bongani quickly smoothed out the knee-length, dull-white tunic he wore, and repositioned the bronze belt resembling a rope tied around his hips. "Are you ready to plan for the Aleni's arrival this week?"

"Yes." The Aleni's were also of royal blood – they were part of my family, actually. Aunt Adongo is my mother's younger sister, and she's been with my uncle-by-marriage for a long time. The last time we met was back when I was a child, so I don't remember either of them too much. My parents always wanted to please them, though, so not one thing could be out of place when the time comes for their visit. _I'll be sure everything is perfect!_

"Great! Let's start with the seating arrangements."

"Shouldn't we do the theme first?" I asked. I quickly explained before he could protest, "The seating can be done at any time, but if we wait too long to decide a theme and decor, it'll be too late to order the supplies."

Bongani sighed heavily as he put his hands behind his back. "Very well, Princess."

I raised a skeptical eyebrow. He usually made some kind of protest whenever I was about to win a disagreement; but I shrugged it off.

Two or three hours had passed before the theme and decorations were chosen. I decided on a quant valley theme. The colors would be Earth-toned, with colorful offsets like light greens and pinks. The extra decorations (which will only be three or four) will be colorful as well.

"Here are the lists of the guests," Bongani announced, handing me scroll.

I tilted my head to the side slightly in confusion. "I thought only my aunt and uncle were visiting?" I dug through my single dress pocket until I found my glasses.

"The Aleni's had just sent word this morning about bringing their children," Bongani explained as I read the list three times over.

I refolded the scroll. "Okay. That means we'll have to add two extra chairs for the table," I said mostly to myself. "Will they be dancing too?" I asked the majordomo. "Or just sit for dinner?"

"They had written that they have no interest, but the children may."

I nodded, then continued all the planning and arrangements.

OoOoO

It was late afternoon when I was going over everything one, last time. _Okay, _I was thinking. _So Earth-toned colors for the theme; salads for the appetizers; chicken for the entrées; fruits for dessert; some quant music will be playing in the background throughout the dinner; my parents will sit on either of the far sides of the table, of course; my aunt and uncle next to each other on one of the sides, and same with my cousins; and I'll be sitting next to my mother; Miele will sit next to me; I'll have to make sure I call for the –_

"Princess," Bongani interrupted my thoughts. "It is getting quite late." I blinked and looked out the large window. It was just about sunset! I thought only an hour or two had passed? "I think we have gotten plenty done today," he continued. "You may finish tomorrow."

I nodded. "Okay, then." I walked out of the dining-ballroom with my plans still in-hand. I guess I was still in the zone. This is the first time I'm _actually_ planning something _myself_, and without Bongani criticizing every little thing I decided. I felt myself smile and a giggle escaped my lips. I hadn't realized how excited I really was. Finally. My parents will see what I can really do!

And of course, my mind went back to the dinner party. Now that I really think about it, this will be the first time I'll be meeting my cousins – well, a real meeting where I'll actually make note of them this time.

By this time, I had made it to the hall where my room is; seconds later, the grand door to it came into view. As soon as I closed the door, I leaned against it and took in the room. It was fairly large with shiny, bronze-tinted, gold walls. Toward the ceiling, the gold began to fade to lighter shades, until setting to a very light color in the center of the ceiling. My gaze came back downward, resting on the furniture. Dressers, desks, bookshelves, etcetera. The common items you'd find in most homes. Some of them, however, were of different colors. The desks, bookshelves, dressers, and chest were all a warm brown, some a little lighter; while the others like the shelves on the walls, chairs, bed-sets, and tables were all colorful. From a milky-cream to bright pinks to warm yellows. The flooring was smooth and a light color, with deep green rugs here and there.

I got up from the door, but before I could take a single step forward, I was pounced on. "Long time no see, Flora!" giggled the voice that belonged to my attacker.

I rolled my eyes playfully. "I saw you at breakfast just this morning, Miele." She stuck her tongue out at me, and I returned it, holding back a giggle.

"That was hours ago!" Miele replied. "I haven't seen you since then!" Miele, my adorable little sister, was always so sweet and a bit stubborn. She would be turning eleven this year. I had to smile at her; we looked nothing alike. Miele has a much lighter complexion than I do, and her hair was a vibrant orange. Right now it was tied into a high, small ponytail. It showed off her pale orange streaks. Miele's pale green eyes were wide with excitement and curiosity as always. In fact, her eyes seemed to sparkle even more with the dress was wearing. It was mostly a celery-green gown that acted as a vest somewhat: it cut off into a soft ruffle trim at the hips, as if it was a vest, while the rest of the skirt was green and reached her ankles. The short sleeved also had soft ruffles. Below the collar in a triangular shade, the fabric thinned out and was tinted yellow. She was so cute!

"That's because I was planning the dinner for the Aleni's," I said as I began to walk toward my bed. Miele hopped onto it right beside me.

Miele's smile turned to a thin line. "Was it really _you _planning, or Bongani?" it sounded like she forced out his name, and I heard the fainted bit of disgust in her voice; but I could be wrong. "Why don't you tell Mom and Dad about him, Flora? Then you'd be able to get the respect you deserve when it's time for the event!"

I breathed out a thick breath and smiled softly. _I'm happy that there's someone in this palace who knows what goes on behind the scenes_, I thought, patting Miele's head. "You shouldn't be so hard on Bongani, Miele," I said. "He has the everyone's best interest at heart. I think he's just not ready to give all the responsibility to me yet. After all, he's been with royal family for years and has always done the job of making sure everything is perfect," I reasoned. "It's hard to leave a job you have so much passion for in another person's hands. Just give him time."

Miele was silent for some minutes, probably reflecting everything I had said. Finally, she nodded. "If you say so." I could tell by her face she wasn't the least bit convinced.

I poked her forehead affectionately. "And to answer your question, yes. I _am _planning the dinner!" She perked up at this; before she could go on about it, however, I added, "By the way, have you finished your studies?"

There was a short silence with Miele freezing her happy face. I presume she was trying to think of an excuse of some sort. Eventually, though, she sighed and pouted slightly. "I'm almost done, but I can't figure out a couple of questions. . . . "

"Well, why don't I help you?" She nodded vigorously, making me giggle. "Okay. Come on, sweetie."

OoOoO

The next few days flew by just like that. I was so surprised it was the day of the dinner party. Before I went to get ready, I did a once over around the Dining Room. The table was covered with a pretty, mint-green tablecloth with the cloth thrown over sideways, so it looked like a diamond. Baby pink napkins were folded in triangles and placed right beside the silver plates and utensils. There were two candles set in rich, brown candle-holders. Also placed on the table were golden-brown baskets filled with fruits like apples, oranges, and grapes. Golden-brown drapes were elegantly hung on the walls . . . making a wave effect, I guess. The music playing from the ballroom was a pretty flute tune with the sounds of a waterfall behind it. The song was soft and relaxing; the perfect background music for a quant dinner.

With an hour before the dinner began, I hurried to get ready. I changed into a rose-pink gown that had magenta fabric draped over the slightly poofy skirt, and flowed down to my ankles. Magenta fabric was also on one of the spaghetti straps. Very thin, black, curvy lines – almost like vines – trimmed the top and boarded the bottom of the dress. I pulled the sides of my long hair back into a ponytail and pinned it with a fake, red rose. Lastly, my bangs were curled into spirals. As I made sure the straps to my pink heels were secure, I sighed inwardly. I didn't really like the idea of dressing so formally just for a dinner for my cousins, but it's what Mom and Dad want, so . . .

I was just about ready to leave the room when Miele came in. "What do you think, Flora!?" She wore a warm, orange dress with thick straps and a green ribbon tied around her waist. The orange faded into a lighter shade at the skirt until settling to a peach-orange. Miele's hair was out, reaching just passed her shoulders. One side was up in a ponytail on the side of her head, held there by a green band. You'd think there would be too much orange in the mix, but the different shades helped it out.

"You look great, Miele!"

"Thanks! You do too, Flora!" She nodded as if to emphasize it. "Oh, and I looked in the Dining room a while ago and it looks so pretty!" Miele's green eyes sparkled. I assumed she was thinking back to the scene.

I giggled. "Thank you, Miele!" I added, more to myself than Miele, "I hope Mom and Dad like it too. . . . "

"Of course they will!" Miele reassured. "Why wouldn't they?"

I didn't answer, but smiled at her instead. I took my little sister's hand and together, we walked out the room and down the halls. We stopped in the palace entrance where we were to meet and greet the Aleni's. Of course, our parents were there too. King Farai is a thin, but muscular man with a fairly tall height. I could see I got my eyes from him – the color, I mean, and we both had similar facial features. He wore a long, white, robe-like gown with golden-brown trim and gold sandals.

Miele looked more like our mother, Queen Aduor. She was a very refined woman with large, pale green eyes and short, pale orange hair – which was presently out, flowing over her shoulders, with a black headband in her hair. She wore a cream-white dress that hugged her figure lightly. A red shawl was securely draped over her shoulders – I assume it was attached to the dress – and the bottom of the dress was also trimmed in red.

Dad caught sight of us first and grinned widely. "There you are! I was beginning to worry." He chuckled. "You both are as prettier than the most exotic flower!" Miele and I giggled. I gave a small nod of thanks, while Miele twirled in her dress to show it off more.

Mom smiled at us. "Your father is right." She paused, then a giggle escaped from her mouth. "You match the garden, Flora; and you match the desert, Miele." We all laughed at that. I never noticed our 'theme' attire.

Right when we calmed down, a guard came in. "The Aleni's have arrived. . . . " He wasn't finished saying the sentence when my aunt and uncle came in – along with their two kids. Aunt Adongo was my mother's identical twin. Of course, she looked a lot like her; only, Aunt Adongo had high cheekbones and a darker shade of green eyes. As she got closer, I could make out a beauty mark above her right eyebrow on the side. Aunt Adongo carried herself with great dignity and pride with her head held high. She wore a beautiful dark blue gown that dragged behind her a little on the ground. The dress had gold detailing that swirled and twisted to a shape I couldn't describe. I could just make out gold heels peeking out from underneath the dress; and she wore three gold necklace around her neck. Her pale orange hair was in a low ponytail, while her brow-length bangs were fluffed out.

Uncle Unathi was about the same height as my Dad, and was very muscular, I could tell right away that he must workout a lot. He had brown eyes and a scowl on his face which made me a bit uncomfortable. The setting sunlight reflected off his shiny scalp. Uncle Unathi didn't carry himself like Aunt Adongo did . . . he looked as if he was scared of something or someone, despite his scowl. His outfit was similar to Bongani's, but his was a rusty-tan and the rope-like belt was a vibrant chestnut color, it was also long-sleeved. There was also orange details that I couldn't make out along the collar, and long sleeves. Uncle Unathi wore brown sandals and he had a gold necklace around his neck.

Mom smiled warmly at her sister before giving her a big bear hug. Aunt Adongo seemed surprised at first, but then hugged my mother back . . . almost hesitantly. Uncle Unathi only nodded in greeting at my parents. Dad raised an eyebrow at that, and so, he did the same to Uncle Unathi.

The couple introduced us to their kids; a sixteen-year-old boy, Obi, who resembled both parents, and a little girl, Kamaria, who looked like Miele – just with long, black hair and brown eyes. After greetings were exchanged, we started to the Dining room.

Bongani met us when we all entered the appropriate hallway. "I hope you all enjoy the meal," he said, bowing his head respectfully, but also a bit stiffly.

"I can't wait!" Kamaria chimed, clapping her hands together.

"Our little Flora has arranged everything down to the napkins!" Dad boasted. I doubt he even saw it yet.

"I saw it before I got ready!" Miele said. "It's beautiful!"

"Yes." Bongani nodded. "The Princess has done quite a job."

I blushed slightly. "I hope everyone has a good time tonight!"

As Miele went on about what I had done to the Dining room, studied Obi and Kamaria some more. Obi hasn't said a word since he came in, but he didn't look bored or anything. Kamaria . . . I don't know what to think. Before she seemed cheerful, but whenever she thought no one was looking or speaking to her, she'd sigh silently, and roll her eyes. Was she faking her bubbliness, or was she just disappointed no one was giving her any attention?

_Maybe I'm over thinking things too much,_ I thought, shaking my head slightly at my imagination. _Mom must have really got in my head about those mysteries she reads. . . ._

I was awakened from my thoughts by the sound of the Dining room door opening. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, preparing myself for everyone's reaction.

. . .

I didn't hear anything, but I still had my eyes closed – a little tighter this time. Was the silence a good thing, or bad?

"What the heck!?" I heard Miele said, a mix of disbelief and disgust were in her voice. That wasn't good. . . .

I instantly opened my eyes, then a gasped immediately escaped from my mouth. _What happened to the room!?_ It definitely wasn't what I left there only an hour or so ago. The table was no longer covered with the green cloth, instead, the tablecloth was replaced by a white one . . . which I think I saw a stain or two on it! The candles and fruit baskets were nowhere to be seen, and the silverware and dishes were substituted with pale bronze ones for every seat besides the at the heads of the table, and two of the seats. The ones at the heads of the table were bright gold, obviously for the king and queen; the other two were a dull silver, most likely representing me and Miele. The drapes on the walls were taken off and replaced by a very dark brown fabric that covered all the walls of the dining section of the room. And added was a large, white rug underneath the table, in an oval shape.

I just stared, wide-eyed, while Miele began saying something, but was cut off by Uncle Unathi. "Flora . . . you have some very interesting taste," he said, blankly. No emotion at all.

Dad 'cleared his throat' in an effort to break the awkward silence. "Well, shall we eat?" As everyone all made their way around the table, looking for their seats, I glanced over at Dad, he was looking at all the dishes' colors. Briefly, he looked up and gazed at me directly, and gave me a look that clearly said, 'Gold and silver representing us? And bronze to your relatives!? That's a little disrespectful, don't you think?' I merely averted my gaze to my hands that were fidgeting on my lap.

I glanced beside me at Miele; her face was turning bright red . . . and she was half glaring, half eyeing Bongani, who was standing a couple of few away from the table. That's when it dawned on me how the room got this way. Other than royalty, only the majordomo has control over anything and everything that has to do with hosting some sort of event. Bongani must have done this while I was getting ready!

. . .

. . . No. I'm being way too hasty. I shouldn't make such accusations without any proof. . . . I sighed heavily.

"Flora!" I flinched at my aunt's fairly loud voice. "What are you daydreaming about?"

"Oh, um, nothing. I'm sorry. Did you say something?"

"Yes, I did." Aunt Adongo raised an eyebrow at me. "I asked you what kind of theme was this set in? Because I don't have the slightest clue."

"Oh, um . . . well, uh. . . . "

Bongani then came to my rescue. "Princess Flora has been working very hard, I can only guess she'd be a little tired after all." Then he added, "The theme is Classic English. I believe they used to dine in similar places like this."

"Ah." Aunt Adongo nodded politely, then looked at everyplace else.

Apparently, Obi had muttered something because Uncle Unathi said, "What was that?"

"Oh, nothing!" Obi spoke louder.

"If it was nothing, then you wouldn't have said that. Now repeat it!"

Obi opened his mouth to protest, but nothing was heard. Finally, he slumped back in his seat and sighed. "I said this place sucked."

"How rude!" Kamaria chimed. "You can't say that in front of royalty!"

I thought I saw a disgusted look appear in Aunt Adongo's eyes, but just as quickly, it went away and she started scolding her son. Maybe I just imagined that look. . . .

That's when Miele stood up from her seat and said – almost yelled, "Don't blame Flora for it! It was B – " I grabbed her hand before she could say anymore. She stared at me, disbelief on her features, but I only stared back and gently squeezed her hand.

"What were you saying, Miele?" Mom inquired, blinking in confusion.

Miele glanced at me, to Mom, then back, and sat back down. "Um, err . . . It was nothing important. Really." I gave her a small smile, but she avoided my eyes, and instead continued to glare at Bongani.

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><p><em>Was it dragging a little? I won't be surprised if it was. I was debating whether or not to add the whole "betrayal" section at the end, because it was already so long, but then I thought, "Bloom and Stella had semi-'climaxes' in their chapters, but Flora won't if I don't add this!", so...yeah. ^ ^;<em>

_Anyway, I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, but I wrote some fairly detailed notes beforehand, so it shouldn't take too long. :P_

_But until then, I'll let this little spoiler slide: The next chapter is focusing on . . . *drumroll* . . . Musa!_

_Special thanks to my reviewers: bookworm842, lulugirl55, ME, Gloxinia, angel2u, musicalinstrument, Wendbria, spkdog, katay19000_


	5. 4: Hidden Hearts

I'm so sorry guys! I know it's been forever. I haven't forgotten about this fic, I just had writer's block. I had the main idea for this chapter already thought up, and wrote a good chunk, but then I didn't know how to go on because there were sooooo many things that Musa has going on, but I couldn't find a way to make it all flow well.

Besides that, I had homework and a couple of things going on, but on the bright side, I graduated earlier this year! And with that FINALLY done and over with (who invented school anyway?), I wanted to pick up my old stories again, and boy have I missed writing!

I know a lot of you love Musa, so I hope you Musa fans especially like this chapter. I'll talk more about this chapter as well as a couple of important points at the end.

And by the way, YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME! Thank you so much for reading and the support you gave when I needed it. I promise to work even harder from now on!

**To my oh-so-fabulous reviewers:**

**skydog: **Yeah. He's a real jerk. I don't like him either and I created him! XD

**Gloxinia: **Thanks, Gloxinia! I, myself, have always been annoyed when there's stupidly long descriptions back to back, so I'm glad the way I do it is reader-friendly. x3 And I'm really sorry for the wait! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Wendbria: **Yes! Most of first encounters with the Specialists are actually some of my favorites parts while I was planning. I'm looking forward to it just as much as you. ;D And I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter!

**angel2u: **Who? Flora? How the Winx girls' encounter with each other is actually a lot more simple than you probably think. I can assure you that. ;D

**ME: **I'm sorry for the long wait! I'm happy you liked the chapter!

**katay19000: **Yep, yep. Great guesses, but I'll only say that two of them don't really have anything to do with the plot.

**Lulugirl55: **I hope you haven't died yet! I just updated! Lol. But seriously, though. Sorry, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)

**mo: **Hmm. . . . I can appreciate constructive criticism, but I'm afraid your comment appeared more as spam to me. I clearly stated in the first chapter that the first six chapters will be long because they're intros to the girls' lives on Earth. I also stated that I would incorporate things from the actual cartoon and if you read the prologue, you would get the base of the plot - it wasn't there to just look pretty, after all. You can think of every other thing that happens in the story as subplots. I know it seems as if one thing doesn't relate to the other, but as a whole, it does. If you continue to read to the almost end, you'll see that, but until then, if you do keep on reading, I would very much appreciate it if any future 'review' you give is something actually relevant to the fic and not a complaint about things I clearly warned everyone about.

**Liliana-chan: **Sorry for the wait! I'm glad you like the story, and I hope you enjoy Musa's chapter, too!

**Angelface714: **Here it is! Yes, I'm also looking forward to the reunion with their boyfriends as well. Some more than others - as far as first meetings go, but as the story continues, it'll get more juicy for every character! ;)

**DISCLAIMER: **Oh, this is so stupid! I don't own Winx Club and I never will! The only things I own in this fic are the plots, subplots, and every OC I've created!

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><p><em><strong>Chapter IV ~ <strong>__**Hidden Hearts**_

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><p><em><strong>Musa's POV<strong>_

" _. . . What!?_"

"It is as I said, dear. A messenger from – "

"I _know _what you said!" a biting remark – more like a snarl, really – cut him off. "And I know what _he _said! And what _they _said!" An almost wild gesture of my head accompanied the retort, putting more power behind each and every emphasized word. "What I _don't _know is how you can even _think _of _considering _it without consulting _me _about it _first _– let alone _agree _to it!"

The man stood from his throne, a dangerous glint coming to his dark eyes. "Don't you _dare _speak to your father that way!"

"I already have!" I nearly yelled, baring my teeth. "Deal with it!" I spun on my heel and – with my head down, bangs hiding my tear-filled eyes – ran to the large golden double doors to the right of the central staircase.

"Musa, come back this instant!"

"Shut up! I hate you!" I vaguely swore under my breath when I pushed through the shining doors, them only making a light clicking noise much to my dissatisfaction. I wanted them to bang against the walls; to echo loudly in the Throne Room, the hallways and beyond; to make the palace vibrate and tremble with an unknown force behind it; to strike the (so not) Great Chinese Emperor, Yun Wei, in the heart with the feelings of shock, surprise, horror, and – most importantly – abandonment.

Because those were the feelings I felt the moment he told me the news.

Excuse me. The _'good'_ news.

_Sigh_. . . . I thought I had it good – Well, not _good_; far from it, in fact, but 'good' compared to the past generations of my family. I knew marriage and bearing children were an important part of my culture in general, especially when it came to the royal family, but it seemed to be stressed more so on the Chinese women; to the point where it was looked down upon to be a young girl of _fourteen _and not even be _engaged _yet! How I, Yun Musa, age eighteen, got away with it for as long as I had was a mystery to the citizens, but it was something I was always thankful for.

Every heir before me had a requirement to marry. Men were allowed to take the throne before marriage, but it was highly recommended that they do marry within one year of becoming emperor, to ensure an heir; women, on the other hand, needed to marry before acquiring the throne – whether or not the current emperor died was irrelevant, and it was expected for the princess to already have a child on the way by the time her husband was crowned emperor. Granted, it was most preferable to have a son for an heir, but if there were only daughters, then nothing could be done other than the rules stated.

The reason I, Princess Musa, heir to the Chinese throne, was not married by now was simply because there wasn't any point. My father was a long ways away from death and if he _did _die by the time he was, let's say, ninety, I would be seventy-something (my father got married at sixteen and I came into the world a year later); that leaves plenty of time for me to get married, have a few kids, some grand-kids, great-grand-kids, and maybe even great-great-grand-kids by the time I die from being Empress of China – assuming I married and had kids at twenty-something, of course.

_My parents were the ones who decided on holding back on the marriage tradition, so why did my 'father' set me up for an arranged marriage now?_ I couldn't help scoffing as I answered the question. _Because he didn't think _any _guys – let alone _princes _– would ever take an interest in me because of my so called 'rebellious behavior'!_

I could feel the tears leave my eyes and begin trailing down my face. No matter how hard I tried, they just wouldn't stop, and the lump that had been forming in my throat since the meeting with 'Father' now felt as if it blocked it entirely. My body shuddered so much, it was hard to run straight. By the time I reached the wing my bedroom was located in, I was a sobbing mess.

. . . Heheh. How ironic. The self-proclaimed 'tough girl' was now blundering like a little baby. The maids and servants must be having a riot.

And somehow, that just made me feel worse.

I collapsed onto my bed after bursting through the door. "W-W-Why? W-Why now?" I sniffled. "Stupid! Stupid, Dad!" I sobbed harder, my face completely enveloped in one of the pillows. "I hate you! I hate you! I-I . . . I . . . " The only sounds that echoed in the large red room from then on, were the sounds of defeat. . . .

OoOoO

"_Musa. . . . " That voice... "Musa...?" I've heard it before... "Musa, where are you?" . . ._

"_Here I am!"_

"_Oh, Musa!"_

"_Mama!" . . . It's been a while since the last time I had this dream. Like the other times, I was reliving the past in my little five-year-old body. I could think independently, but the words that would come out of my mouth, the actions I would perform, and the emotions that I felt were all a part of a time long ago; something I had no control over now._

_I ran into my mother's opened arms and looked up at her with wide eyes. She responded with a giggle and smile that made her small cheekbones perk away from the heart shape of her face. The sun rays shining through the opened glass doors made Mom's light caramel skin color have a soft glow, and her dark brown hair spark with the light._

"_Mama, will you teach me how to play the flute today?" Although my munchkin self was happy and eager, my inner, present self longed to just stay in her arms._

_Mom. . . . Dad hasn't held me in a long time; it's been cold without you here. Dad's stiff posture wasn't like your graceful one; his angry, narrow eyes weren't anything like your warm brown ones; he doesn't think or care about my feelings, but you always took them into account; Dad claims to be too busy to just stop by and say hi, but even if you couldn't see me at any point in the day, you always sought me out later with an apology and a smile._

_You both are so different. . . . Why did you have to go?_

_Mom smiled down at me and giggled. "Of course." For the next few moments, I watched as everything moved in a kind of blur. The fogginess eventually cleared away, showing the music lesson coming to a stop with my arms crossed and pudgy cheeks red and puffed out to their fullest. "Musa," Mom coaxed gently, "you did very well."_

"_No!" I huffed. "I stink!"_

"_Nobody is perfect the first time."_

"_It wasn't first," I persisted. "I did it a billion times!"_

_She smiled at my exaggeration. "It was your first lesson, and you did well. You're a natural, Musa."_

_I tilted my head. "'Naa-chu...rol' . . . ?"_

_Mom giggled. "Meaning you have a special talent." She turned back and straightened herself more. She rested her fingers on the grand, pearly white piano and a moment later, a light, soothing melody filled the air in the large music room. I nodded in tune with the song, recognizing it as Canon. Minutes later, the song smoothly blended with another until it changed into a more upbeat Minuet._

_When that happened, a different instrument joined in. I turned around quickly and found Dad grinning widely as he played a medium-sized cello. Back then, Dad's really dark hair was often kept in a clean-cut style and his dark-ish light skin tone was always tinted with color. This was a time where he talked and laughed a lot; nothing like now where I've forgotten how a genuinely warm smile looked like. The only things ever on his face now was either a scowl or frown; it matched his now hardened and angular facial features perfectly. . . ._

_Mom smiled softly without a glance in Dad's direction and closed her eyes, swaying along with the music. I laughed and clapped with them, bouncing in my seat beside her._

_I remember this moment as the time I had decided to practice the flute every day, until I, too, could play any and every song along with my parents._

_But I never got the chance._

_All at once, the scene changed from the vibrant reds, pinks, creams, and orange to a snowy garden at night. All of the plants were either withered, crushed, or destroyed by insect predators. The snow wasn't the pretty sight you see on television; it was mixed up with the dirt of the garden and felt like slimy, sticky mush._

_I wanted to look away; to turn around and run back into the palace. I didn't want to see what happened next, but of course, I had no control over my five-year-old body. I ran down the stone path with my arms outstretched like an airplane. I held my flute tightly in one hand and my heart beat was wild with excitement. I had just finished practicing Minuet in my room when I finally played it through with no mistakes. I couldn't contain my happiness and ran out the room, looking for my mother to play for her. A maid pointed me toward the garden, and now here I am searching the large area._

'_No!' I inwardly pleaded. 'I know what happens already! Just let me wake up!' But my mind wouldn't allow it. I continued to run, calling out for Mom while ignoring how cold my cheeks were becoming._

_I found her not long after. She was sitting on the bench hidden under a withering willow tree, its direction facing out to the pond._

'_Please no. . . .'_

"_Mama!" Little me cried out happily. I ran, with my arms still out, to the bench, and skidded to an ungraceful stop in front of it, puffs of air coming from me. "Look, look!" Immediately I began to play the flute with no regard to my condition; the song came out choppy and inconsistent with rushed notes here and uneven held notes there. I continued, though, until Minuet was over, then exclaimed, "Ta-da~!" before bowing._

_I looked up when Mom didn't respond. "Mama?" She still said nothing. I walked closer to her. "Mama, was I good?" Silence was my only answer, and I looked down at my feet in sadness. Sad because I disappointed Mom with my awful performance._

"_Lin?" a voice called in the distance. "Musa? Where are you two?" I didn't reply back, staying in my same position, but he found us soon enough. "Ah! There you are!" He smiled, but that smile left when I suddenly ran toward him with tears in my eyes. "Huh? Musa, what's wrong?" He picked me up and held me as I cried softly._

"_I-I-I was bad" I got out shakily. "M-My s-song was bad."_

_Dad wiped my tears away. "I'm sure that's not true. You always play from your heart and that's what makes your songs great, just like your mother." He smiled at me softly, then walked over to Mom. "Right, Lin?"_

_She didn't say a word, making me feel even worse, thinking that she was still upset with me. Dad called her name again and when she didn't respond, he shook her gently. "Lin? Lin? Wake up."_

_She didn't. Mom was dead and was never going to wake back up again._

I bolted up, my eyes wide and breath heavy. I turned my head from side to side multiple times, feeling my heart swell with a vague bit of pain – as if it was yearning for something or someone, but also bracing itself and praying for nothing to be there at all. Glancing around the room once more, it seemed the latter was true; only the darkness was my company and nothing more. My body relaxed, but not my heart. I didn't think much of it at first...not until I tried to stretch my arms in front of me; they retracted back quickly as soon as my chest suddenly tightened; even the simple gesture of turning had me withdraw.

I sighed and lied back against the smooth headboard, my mind still fuzzy with sleep, but eyes awake enough to spill a few tears. I was used to the dream by now, yet it never failed to completely ruin a night's sleep and damage a new day's plans. I bent my knees to my chest and placed my hands on top of them, looking at the picture frame sitting on top of my night stand. It was a family photo, back when I was just a baby. Both of my parents were smiling and seemed content just being together. Glancing to my other side at another night stand, I studied the surface. The two picture frames on that night-stand consisted of me and Mom in one, and me and Dad in the other; I was around three or four in both, and I frowned, realizing I haven't taken a single picture with Dad in a long time.

Eventually, I did manage to get out of bed, carefully stretching out my chest to loosen it up and adjusting my ruby-red crop top as I did. I wandered around the room, not paying much attention which direction I went or where my bare feet stepped. It was dark out now, and no lights were on in my room, so I couldn't see the deep red color of the walls or the gradient effect of the smooth, hard floors. Soon enough, after dodging a few pieces of dark furniture my mind hadn't registered were there, I found myself standing in front of the full-length mirror near a corner of my room.

There I stood, looking at my reflection with the dim light of the moon filtering through the balcony window. I tilted my head to one side. I looked healthy, with a slender torso and large hips, but I could very well be sick, too – my skin was so white! I guess the reason that possibility went over the head was because of my eyes. They had the characteristic exotic slant like most native Asians did, but they were also very large and blue, something that's not common; and the blue looked more like a dark violet, a complete contrast with my skin tone. My shoulder-length hair was a bit odd as well; here in the darkness, it looked totally black, but if I was in the light, no matter how I turned, you could see a very noticeable blue tint to it. I smiled slightly, remembering the name I gave the color as a child: Nightmare Blue. Everyone was always so freaked out when they found out my hair was my natural color, and although it _is _kind of weird, I like it, and that's all that matters.

I turned away from the mirror, intending to freshen up, but paused when a flash of light caught my eye. I adjusted to get a better look, and raised an eyebrow at a silvery garment lying across the long wooden table that stood on the other side of the room. _That wasn't there this morning_, I thought. One of the maids finishing the laundry while I was asleep crossed my mind, but then it went away just as quickly. _They would have just put the clothes away quietly, not leave it around._ Not that I really cared, but my curiosity perked when I remembered I didn't even _own _anything silver.

As I walked over to the table, I wondered if there was some kind of important dinner or something I was forgetting about, but when I glanced back at what I had presumed was a dress or even a robe, I stopped dead in my tracks. My eyes widened, my jaw dropped, my mind went blank, and all at once, my body began to shake. "N-No way–!" My voice trembled. "N-No way!"

Lying on the table wasn't some stupid random dress like I was expecting. Far from it. With a shaky hand, I removed the light, nearly transparent fabric away so that I could see the red cheongsam underneath properly. It looked like a looser-fitting one and, although I wasn't holding it up, I could tell the silky skirt probably flowed to the ground. The majority of the decorations involved golden embroidery, ranging from large and bold and small and intricate; the small and medium sized ones were sewn around the neckline and above the bust while the big ones made their presence known along the very bottom of the skirt. I couldn't make out much else of the details in the dark, but I was taken aback by how the areas touched by the moonlight responded to it; the gold turned into a calm silver and the red almost looked like a rosy pink.

I knew I could never pull it off, but the cheongsam really _was _pretty. I liked it. I liked it a lot. . . . Maybe that was the reason why I hated it.

Lying on the table wasn't some dress meant for a dance or festival.

It was a wedding dress.

A _wedding _dress!

I wanted to rip it, throw it – tear it to pieces and give 'Father' the remains; I wanted to tell him that this is what I thought and to send me away if he didn't like it; I wanted to do something – _anything _to the dress to make him realize he can't do whatever he wants, whenever he feels like it, without consulting me first –

But I couldn't do anything to the dress. I couldn't. . . . The reason why my eyes continued to blur and overflow with what felt like an endless amount of tears, wasn't because of the low move my father made in bringing the dress in here. It was because...because...

It belonged to my mother.

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><p><strong>(1) <strong>A 'cheongsam' is a Chinese dress that can be worn for any occasion. The one featured in Musa's chapter is specifically a wedding dress, but from my research, wedding cheongsams and non-wedding ones look practically the same. [shrug]

Chapter four is complete! I have to say that this chapter gave me some of the most troublesome problems compared to the others. Why? Well, aside from the writer's block, it was because of the length and lack of detailed description. Word count wise, Musa's chapter is the shortest of all of them (just hitting 3k), but she also has the only introduction chapter to have the most 'exciting' events happen in so little reading time, so the actual reading session might feel longer than what it really is.

As for the description, I wanted to add more like with the previous chapters, but with the way things were going, I thought it as inappropriate or weird if Musa started thinking about what her room looked like in greater detail or her clothes or etc.

Even now I'm not completely happy with the chapter, but I know that if I touch it again, there's a very high probability that it'll end up dragging, at least a little bit, like Flora's did.

Again, I'm sorry you guys. I hope this chapter was worth the wait. I did my best, but please don't hesitate to say if there was something wrong or weird or just in need of a correction.

**Next chapter spoiler:** It's Tecna's turn!

**Guessing Game:** Which Winx girl do you guys think will meet her former boyfriend first? (I will actually answer truthfully for this one - IF someone guesses right, that is. ;P)

Semi-Important!: Some of you have asked/wondered if the guys will have their own individual chapters; the answer is yes, BUT that won't be until waaay later for most of them. Sky and Brandon will have a joint, short-ish chapter coming very soon, but they will be the only two of the guys for now. The guys WILL be here - very soon, in fact, but their own personal chapter won't.

Semi-Important! 2: If you guys were wondering, the whole fic won't be in first person; just eighty-five or ninety percent of the time. I'll change things up as I see fit. There's no pattern for half time - that includes the girls' chapters too. Instead of 'Bloom, Stella, Flora, etc.' repeat, it'll just go along depending on how chapters end and the plans I made for each girl.

Semi-Important! 3: Each chapter won't be as long as these first six; I promise you that. These are purely for intros and (sometimes vague) plot start-ups. Starting at chapter seven, long chapters will only cover many events in one or especially important events.

Semi-Important! 4: For now on, I'll be keeping the status of all my multi-chaptered fics on my profile. I'll be updating it regularly and will state if fics are on hiatus, in the process of being rewritten, or even just looking for inspiration. So if any of you are curious about the status of PUH, just check my profile, and please PM me if you have any questions or you didn't understand something in a chapter or subplot; I'll likely rewrite the section to make it clearer, or just answer you back if I meant for the chapter/subplot to be that way.

**Special thanks to the most awesome reviewers:** bookworm842, Lulugirl55, ME, Gloxinia, angel2u, musicalinstrument, Wendbria, spkdog, katay19000, Angelface714, Liliana-chan


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